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MATCHING AND NETWORK EFFECTS

delete2010-03-01
delete85
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OA
AI
M
Marcel Fafchamps *
S
Sanjeev Goyal
M
Marco van der Leij
DOI:10.1162/jeea.2010.8.1.203delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
The matching of individuals in teams is a key element in the functioning of an economy. The network of social ties can potentially transmit important information on abilities and reputations and also help mitigate matching frictions by facilitating interactions among screened individuals. We conjecture that the probability of two individuals forming a team falls in the distance between the two individuals in the network of existing social ties. The objective of this paper is to empirically test this conjecture. We examine the formation of coauthor relations among economists over a twenty-year period. Our principal finding is that a new collaboration emerges faster among two researchers if they are closer in the existing coauthor network among economists. This proximity effect on collaboration is strong: Being at a network distance of 2 instead of 3, for instance, raises the probability of initiating a collaboration by 27%. (JEL: C78, D83, D85)
Keywords:
LABOR-MARKET

Journal

Journal of the European Economic Association cover
Journal of the European Economic Association
IF:
3.3
Papers:
1.5K
Citations:
6.6K

Organization

U
University of Cambridge
Scholars:
7.7W
Papers: 7.1W
Citations: 13.7W
U
university of oxford
Scholars:
9.8W
Papers: 8.6W
Citations: 137
Cited Papers

Cited Papers

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